The Nigeria Customs Service, Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, has recorded seizures of assorted items worth over N13 million.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Salisu Abdullahi, made this known at a press briefing on Friday, 24 February, 2024, in Yola, Adamawa State Capital.
He explained that the command recorded fifteen incidents of seizures of assorted items with a Cumulative Duty Paid Value (DV) of thirteen Million, three hundred and fifty-two thousand, One hundred naira only (N13,352,100.00).
The seized items include; 16, 675Litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) packed in 643×25L Jerry Cans and 3 x 200L drums, 20× 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice and One used Volks Wagon Golf with a big reconstructed fuel tank.
According to the CAC, the Command has been battling to crack down on the smuggling of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol.
He said, “In the last two weeks, we made seizures of 245 Jerry Cans of 25 litres each of this petrol on its way to Cameroon”.
“These 245 Jerry Cans too will be auctioned immediately in accordance with provision of section 246 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and the proceeds accrued remitted into the Federation Account”. He added.
He noted that despite the subsidy removal on the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), “it is evident that the smuggling of the product from Nigeria to some other African countries persists.”
Comptroller Abdullahi revealed that sometime before the end of Last year, the Command showcased foreign juice and alcoholic bullet drinks with Vodka that were expired and unregistered, which were seized by Officers of the Command.
“In view of this, the Headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service directed us to destroy these items in collaboration with NAFDAC officials here present and that will be done immediately after this briefing.”
The CAC stated that the Command, in collaboration with other sister agencies, will never relent in the fight against the menace of smuggling until it’s brought to zero level.
“We want to unequivocally tell the smugglers that the more they change tactics, the more we change our own and God willing, the truth will always prevail over falsehood.” He concluded.
